Singing and praying

One of the ways that we have enjoyed helping the churches in Belgium and the Netherlands is in singing. In Maastricht we get together every first Friday. On the 3rd Wednesday we are in Eindhoven and every September we get together with the church from Cologne and others. Last year we also started driving up to Haarlem to help with the singing there. 

In August our first Friday song was at a time that one of our young men was at camp, so we went to their house on the Sunday to talk about and practice some tips for song leading. It is always exciting to see young brothers willing to learn how to lead the singing in a congregation. Anyone excited to sing for the Lord is a blessing to the congregations they attend or visit. And our First Friday singing was special as well, as we practiced some songs we will use in a neighborhood outreach this coming Wednesday evening. 

We look forward to September when our first Friday singing will mix with the singing with Cologne. Each year we hold a day of singing in either Cologne, Maastricht or even Liege or Eindhoven. This year we will meet in Maastricht. We will use this opportunity to also reach out in our neighborhood. This week (Wednesday, August 19) we are also organizing a Gospel Workshop for the neighborhood and hope to meet some people from the neighborhood who also love singing. 

One of the things that we will continue to do even whien we leave the country is to help with this singing. We hope to continue recording songs for the Youtube channel and more. 

In the meantime we remain in prayer for the various places in the world dealing with some pretty nasty natural disasters. There is flooding near our son in Indiana (and elsewhere), the largest fir in Belgian history burning just miles away from our Bible Camp (and other fires elsewhere), earthqueakes in Colombia and Indonesia, and much more. This is not counting the ongoing suffering due to war. And still we know that God is mighty and able to help in all of these situations. 

(Photo is our First Friday singing in April at our house)

Plans for the coming year

My last name is Raab. This comes from the German for “raven”. This is why our blog site is called “The Raven’s Roost”. Although we are ravens, we will find our roost wherever God places us and can use us. Our “roost” is wherever we are and wherever we will go. 

In the last two months we had the pleasure and the blessing to speak with so many of you, pray with so many about our situation and future plans. In the meantime, the church here in Maastricht was praying for our travels and our conversations. They too knew that we might be approaching a moment of change. Yesterday we took the time to talk about that change with our brothers and sisters here in Maastricht. In the coming days we will be talking about it with others we work with in both Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Our plan here in Belgium and the Netherlands was always to serve God however we could and in any capacity that God made possible. The idea is always that God works through each of His children - as He sees fit. We do not always know how this works best, where we might be sent or be useful. But we always try to be aware of opportunities and challenges that move us into trusting God. That is why we have always said we serve God wherever we are or wherever we go. And that is also what we teach others. 

We have been working with the church in Belgium and the Netherlands since January 1991. Actually even longer when we count the time we came on campaigns in 1981 and my two year stint from 1982-84. We will always be working for the gospel in these areas, wherever we are. But the time has come for us to plan moving out of Belgium (from the house where we have lived for 34 years) back to the Untied States. This is due to how things have changed financially for us - especially the Belgian tax situation - as well as how our family situation is evolving. 

While we were on our Home assignment (the trip we just took to visit family and supporting congregations) we were able to get to know our granddaughter in Indiana even better. She has just turned 3 years old and we would like her to know who Opa and Omi are. At the end of our trip we received the wonderful news in New York that our son, Sean, and his wife, Jill are expecting to welcome a little girl to the world in January of 2027, bringing our second granddaughter into our lives. 

So we are making frantic plans to try and be moved back to the US by the beginning of next year. Not only because the financial situation makes it necessary, but also to welcome a new granddaughter and get closer to family in general. This will be a new season in our lives as we head into the season of “retirement”. We are the right age, even if we don’t feel like we will ever retire. 

Before any of this happens, we have so much to do on the Belgian side. We will be leading Benjamin Camp at the end of the month and teaching at Family Camp. Our Wednesdays and Fridays singing with the church in Eindhoven and Maastricht will continue. In August the church is taking part in a neighborhood activity in Maastricht. In November Shirley and I are part of a marriage workshop. Life goes on and there is so much to do - wherever we are. 

We would greatly appreciate your prayers in the coming months: for our kids and their kids, for our wrapping things up here and the lives being touched with the gospel, for our moving plans (selling house, buying house, etc), for a full trust in our wonderful God who knows how things work and how He is going to use each of His children wherever we are. Our supporters have agreed to continue supporting us through 2027 as we make this change. Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement and support in this time of transition. 

In the loop: Home Assignment 2026 Stage 5 - Iowa

The loop is coming full circle as we leave Colorado and head back East. In the past we would have stopped for a few days in Omaha, Nebraska to visit Shirley’s family. Recent years have meant that what is left of her family has settled in Council Bluffs, Iowa, just across the river from Omaha. So we headed there, looking forward to seeing nephew and niece and their kids. 

We had had to organize an AirBnB in town because the College World Series was in Omaha and most of the normal hotels were full. But what a blessing this place was! We stayed in an historic house basically right down the road from where the niece lives. We were able to enjoy an evening walk, a morning walk as well as the time together with family - all in the ambiance of this historic house. 

Although our stay was short, we were thankful for the time to see and visit with family. We were able to sit with Shirley’s brother and also meet with everyone for a meal on our last evening there. After this very quick stop, we moved on across the state of Iowa to Muscatine in the southeastern corner of the state. Here we met with the last of our supporting congregations and stayed with good friends, Rudy and Pam Schellekens. They were both our mentors in the past as well as helpers most recently teaching and cooking at Ardennen Bible Camp. 

One of our days we spent out at Midwest Bible Camp getting ideas of how others do camp. We were able to talk to the kids, the camp directors and the cooks. This got us into the mood for our own week of camp which is coming up at the end of July. Then we will be leading the Benjamin week of Ardennen Bible Camp. Being at a Bible Camp reminded us of how far away we are and how soon we will return to these tasks we love so much. 

On Sunday Scott was able to teach the Bible class and lead singing at the Muscatine church. It is always amazing to worship God together with those who love Him so much - wherever we are in the world. We enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones - although finding names was quite a challenge. In the evening we met again with some members at an evening get-together where we could answer questions about our work. Then Scott met with the elders to talk about the future and their part in our work. 

We had one more day in Iowa to wind down and get everything ready for the last stage of our trip which will be in New York. The rain of the previous day (which couldn’t disturb the “family” lunch we were invited to with our hosts and others of their family) made way for sun as we got the last little things necessary for our trip and packed our bags. 

We have enjoyed walks along the Mississippi, drives around the town, watching World Cup games together and lots of food and conversations with people who love us and the Lord. Last stop on our trip is coming up - New York City! But that is another story. 

Here are the pictures from the stops in Iowa. 

In the loop: Home Assignment 2026 Stage 5 - Colorado

Some things just never get old - no matter how old we get along the way. Driving down from Montana to Colorado Springs, passing through Denver, the drive between Denver and Colorado Springs is baked into my memory from the many times that we crossed these passes. Even though the “towns” - which have become cities - along the way have spread out along the highway and into the foothills of the mountains. Even though Colorado Springs reaches all the way to Air Force Academy, turning what had been a city of 225,000 people into a city of almost 500,000 people. Some of the views and places remain the same. 

My heart skips a beat every time I see “the Peak” - Pike’s Peak. Almost every road you take in the Springs points down or away from the Peak, with Cheyenne mountain on its side. I will never tire of seeing this sight. The play of the sunlight on its sides or the dancing of the shadow of the clouds being blown past on the wind all make for a show that never ends. It is new every time I see it. And it is nice that we can have some certainties as well as new moments every time we come to visit. 

One of our certainties includes visiting the same coffee place we have visited since before we even moved to Belgium. La Baguette was one of THE places to be in Old Colorado City back in the 80’s and it is still there. The coffee is not worth drinking, but we like to visit. This time we were able to visit with Scott’s brother and his wife. Then we walked the old town street, stopping in some beautiful galleries and making new acquaintances. Scott stopped in to a barbershop to get his hair cut and meet more new people. 

On Wednesday evening we went to the midweek Bible study at Pikes Peak Avenue. This is always a meeting of good friends and family. Some of the members there went to high school with Scott and John (Scott’s brother). Others knew Scott from when he first put on the Lord in baptism. But we also met several new members of the congregation and talked of how God has touched our lives in so many ways. It is good to have family in so many places. 

Our last stop in Colorado Springs included dinner with Scott’s sister. Conversation included memories of old times, of course. Barb is the oldest child of the family, but she was often the mom at moments. Scott and John sometimes remember things differently or not at all. But it was good to share together. It continues to amaze that time and distance does not completely dissolve our relationship. 

After the few days (much too few) in the Springs, we drove up to Denver to share and make new memories there as well. My other brother - Bret Carter has been my best friend since Junior High School and brought me to Christ - now has a growing family. It is fun to share laughter and new games with the kids as well as memories with Bret and his family. 

On the Saturday we were invited to join with Ruby Mirror, which is a group made up of Bret and his sister, two of his cousins and Scott’s brother, John. There was also a new guitarist for this session. Scott used to sing with them when they were all teens in a group called Summer Breeze. You can find the recording of this fun “concert” (we were basically jamming a planned set of songs) on Facebook. 

We also were able to meet up with the Ross. Henk and Celia are not only good friends but mentors. Scott spent time with them and their sons when he was an apprentice back in the 80’s. And Henk and Celia (who worked with the church in Den Dolder, the Netherlands) helped us with Bible camp and much more. They have since moved to the States to be with their kids. 

On Sunday Scott brought the sermon and the study at the Miller Street church of Christ and we once again got to meet new people and connect again with old friends and church family. In the evening we visited Bret’s mom in hospital where she is recovering from a broken arm (she is 92). She still teaches Bret’s kids piano and hopefully will again soon when her arm heals. 

And then, as soon as it rolled into our travel days, the time in Colorado was finished and we were driving away East, up into the cornfields of Nebraska and Iowa. But that is for the next story. 

You can find pictures of this stage here. 

Beginning the loop

Each time we plan this Home Assignment (the trip we take every three years to re-connect with supporting congregations and family) it always includes a section of driving. We usually leave Minnesota and make a loop through Iowa, Colorado, returning to Minnesota before flying on. When Stephan moved to Indiana, we cadded this to the loop, but later made Indy a flight.

This time, since Scott’s brother and mother moved to Montana, the loop will include Montana, Colorado and Iowa before returning to Minnesota. The beginning of this loop includes three stops: Sioux City, Iowa; Belle Fourche, South Dakota; and Billings, Montana. Pull out a map and follow along on this exciting first section of the loop. 

Our first real stop on the loop is planned to be Billings, Montana, but to get there from Minnesota we have to drive quite a few miles (or kilometers). So we split the drive up into three sections and planned on visiting good friends and supporters along the way. The first stop was after a shorter drive of 5 hours to Sioux City, Iowa. This city is in the Northwest corner of Iowa and is only about an hour away from Omaha, Nebraska. We stopped here back in 2023 on our way to visiting Shirley’s family and took a picture of our friends’ house before they even saw it. 

This time we stopped to spend an evening and morning with Daniel and Tonita Stovall and also got to see Dale and Vicki Hawley who live in the area and have been mentors and encouragers throughout our time. Tonita is originally from Omaha, where Shirley is also from. She and Shirley were roommates at Harding and Tonita was the maid of honor at Shirley’s wedding. Daniel sang at our wedding. They were influential in connecting us with the support of the congregation in Minnesota when they were living and working there. 

They have continued supporting us financially and we have almost always found a way to get together in Texas for an afternoon when they were living there. This time we were able to play some guitar, reminisce and even talk about future plans. It was an encouraging stop along the way to our next stop in South Dakota. 

After spending a night on the edge of Iowa, we drove out across South Dakota on what would be a long 8 hour drive. Much of eastern South Dakota is farmland and flat. But toward the West the country starts getting quite rugged. We took a short section through the “Badlands” and stopped for a restroom break at Wall Drug. Hundreds of billboards along the route across South Dakota tell all drivers to stop in at Wall Drug Store. 

Our trip ended in Belle Fourche, South Dakota where we connected with the sister of one of our members from Maastricht. She and her family work with the church in this beautiful little city and surrounding area. They had arranged a beautiful retreat for us after our drive. This was the first time we had been alone for some time. The sunrise woke us for another new day and we met the family for a breakfast in town before heading off on another long drive towards Montana. 

To get to Billings, Montana, we would drive through the Northwest corner of Wyoming, driving right past the natural monument of Devil’s Tower. This looks like a mountain that has been scratched down the side by a monstrous bear (which is one of the myths around it). We skirted a severe storm, glimpsed the Rocky Mountains in the distance and finally drove into Billings by the evening. Scott’s brother and sister-in-law welcomed us along with Scott’s mom who lives with them. 

For a few days we enjoyed the quiet ruggedness of this cowboy state. Lots of pickup trucks and casino’s (entering the state we were greeted with a sign “Entering Crow Country” - the Crow being the local Indian tribe). We went out to breakfast with Scott’s mom - a local “greasy spoon” eatery where she has met lots of regulars sitting at the counter and the waitresses all know her by name. We went walking along the Yellowstone River with Chris and Lynette one morning and visited an immense sporting goods store called Scheel’s (“Like a Cabela’s but better” we were told). 

This was a place of rest and retreat, connecting with family. The severe weather came and went, slashing hail across the yard, but we were safe and well inside. Scott got to discgolf again (he had done a little in Minnesota and California) and we enjoyed time together. On Sunday we met with the local church of Christ and ran into some people who knew people we knew as well as being built up by a wonderful lesson and worship time. Family is clearly important in Montanas. 

This first section of the loop was full of sharing memories and making new ones, time to rest and recover from the traveling we have been doing. Our next stop will be in Colorado. It will start with a long drive through Wyoming and down to Colorado Springs, but we are looking forward to the next step. 

You can find pictures of this first section of the loop here. 

Home Assignment 2026 - Stage 4

God’s family can be so amazing. Our time in Minnesota means meeting wonderful servants, sharing memories and getting to know new members of the congregation. 

Our arrival in Minnesota this time was even more surprising - the kind of surprising that only God does regularly. We were picked up at the airport by our friend Jimmy just as he was dropping off the couple with whom we would later be staying and who was loaning us their car for several days while they were away. We had met them originally in Europe when they came to sing. The songs they sang with Psalom, written by Constantin Zhigulin, have become standards in many congregations in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. I have translated some to Dutch. 

We picked the Cawyers up from the airport when they returned (in their own car that they had leant us) and our last few days were spent at their house. We last saw them in the Dallas area on one of our previous visits. Now they have moved to Minnesota and we were able to share even more time. 

It is these family times that are so important to our work wherever we are. Our first host was Jimmy, with whom we have stayed in the past. He connected us with everyone else in the congregation, made sure that things were arranged and made time in a busy schedule to eat dinner with us. He had a real home for us to stay for a few days. 

It was while we were at Jimmy’s house that we also did a few fun things together, bringing back memories of past visits. We went to the Mall of America - an absolutely huge mall with tons of stores and even an amusement park in the middle. We had always enjoyed going there in the past when the boys were young. Scott was also able to go disc golfing a few times at a local park which had a simple 9 hole layout. Simple because that is what is best for Scott when it comes to disc golf. 

Memories were also shared when we got to visit for a meal with the Davidson’s. Their boys have grown and this family continues to be a real influence on us and our work. They all take part in supporting the Bible camp (Flaming Pine) where both Shirley and Scott had memories. Scott even did some disc golf putting with the boys and Kent after dinner while Shirley caught up on news with Christy. 

On Sunday we were able to meet so many members of the congregation that we know (and test whether we still knew names) as well as meet new members. Scott taught the Bible class and presented the thought at the Lord’s Supper. Earlier in the week Scott had presented the Bible study with the young people and it was great to see them again on this Sunday morning. The potluck after services was a perfect opportunity to continue sharing.

This evening will be our last meal here in Minnesota for now and will be shared with more members of the congregation. The Edwards just married their daughter off this weekend (we had seen the soon-to-be-wed couple when Scott taught the young people’s study earlier in the week), but there is always a place at the table of the Edwards. This is a place of families - no matter what the family looks like. God has placed His children - all of us followers of Jesus Christ - into a family that is everywhere in the world. We are so thankful for this family and the opportunity to meet so many in such a short time. 

It is this family which has always made it possible for us to do our “driving loop” coming up tomorrow. We often borrow someone’s car and drive thousands of miles through several States so that we don’t have to fly. We will talk about that more in the next stage. 

Here are a few pictures of our time here. 

We have also added some late pictures to some of the other albums.

Home Assignment 2026 - Stage 3

The last 10 days or so we have enjoyed our time with the family in California. This stop is always a bit of a warm hug in so many ways. The colors, smells and beauty of California wraps you in a warm, colorful blanket even as you arrive. If you look past the traffic on the way from the airport to where we are staying, you can enjoy all of the colors of flowering plants and trees everywhere. It is amazing to me when people say of the blooming oleander, “Oh that. That is just a weed that grows along the highway.” But its pink and white flowers - literally everywhere - make every moment of the day a little lighter. 

We saw plenty of the oleander and much more when we drove up to Mokelumne Hills (pronounced - if you can believe it - “Ma-cúllum-nee hills”) to meet Shirley’s cousin. They found each other on Ancestry and were so thrilled to share stories and histories for the day and a half that we were there. It is amazing what technology can do in these days. Shirley didn’t even know that she had this cousin - and neither did the cousin know that she had Shirley as a cousin. We unfortunately were not able to hook up with Scott’s sister-in-law and nephew in San Diego, so we missed the beautiful cactus and more down that way. Our communication efforts stranded on the internet.

We had two Sundays while we were here. Long Beach is our sponsoring church and we wanted to make sure that we were able to re-connect with everyone, especially as the church is changing. So the first Sunday Scott gave the Bible study. Afterwards a Pacific Islanders potluck was already planned and gave us both the opportunity to visit with and meet new members. On the second Sunday, the congregation moved up their quarterly Missions Sunday so that Scott could report on the work and present the thought during the Lord’s Supper. 

Around each of these meeting moments there were other chances to meet with members we knew and new members we were getting to know. You can read more about those in the post from last Monday as well. Eating together is always a good time to share life events and questions. We were thankful to spend our last evening with our hosts, Kerry and Marisol. 

Throughout this time in California, we were extremely blessed by the hospitality of so many. We had a place to stay and were welcomed into several homes or meeting places. We had the use of a car - which was essential since were in Southern California where you can’t really get around if you do not have a car. We had walks, talks, time to play guitar, time to laugh at stories and memories, time to encourage and be encouraged by new life in Christ and the grace of Christ in our lives. 

As with other years that we have come through California, we will leave with some wonderful memories. This time it will be an evening walk across the golf course, a discgolf session with a random guy in the park who had just returned from Hawaii and watching Shirley do a hula dance with several others while celebrating Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. We will take memories away of flowering trees in the golden hills, flowering bushes along every stretch of highway and hugs from loved ones that filled our hearts with the fragrance of Christ. 

We now move on to our next stop in Minnesota before beginning our road loop. But that is for next time. 

If you are interested, take a look at the pictures here.

Whensday: Memorial Day

Because we live in Europe and do not have a television, one of the things we generally miss are tv advertisements, including those that come with special days. A holiday always gives a good excuse for special deals of all kinds. And although Belgium has plenty of special days (often connected to religious holidays), the US has plenty of their own. 

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, although I was not aware of it when I planned our travels. Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May and is a day when those who died for the country are remembered. We will be traveling this weekend and will be flying to our next stage on Monday. Hopefully the fact that we are flying on Monday - when everyone else is celebrating at home - will make flying easier. 

And although we will be traveling, we will be remembering. But we will be remembering other important things. This weekend we will be driving up to get to know a first cousin that Shirley did not know she had. She is the daughter of the brother of Shirley’s father. Years ago Shirley looked into some dan results, looking for the sister she knew she had but had never really met.  She finally found the information but never met the sister, who unfortunately had already passed away. 

But we are looking forward to this cousin visit. This will be a time to remember families, share information and simply get to know each other. I imagine there will be some pictures and talk of current families. We do not have a lot of time, but it will be worth the long drive. 

If possible, we will also drive down to San Diego to visit more family and remember that we are family. Since we only come around every three years it is sometimes difficult to keep in touch or have the correct contact information. We look forward to the opportunity to share some time on the Saturday in San Diego. 

And on Sunday we of course will be remembering the most important death for all of us - as we do every Sunday. We are very thankful for the soldiers who gave their lives so that we can be free. And yet we are never truly free unless we accept the death and resurrection of Jesus who gave his life so that we could truly be free of sin and death. 

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom. 8:1)

(Photo of the area we are traveling to this weekend)

Home Assignment 2026 - Stage 2

Indiana is more or less in the middle of the United States. We took a roundabout way to get here, flying from Texas over Atlanta, Georgia to Indianapolis. Indianapolis is the city of fast cars, basketball and the Colts (NFL team). More importantly it is where family lives. At this stop we get to see Stephan and Natalie and our granddaughter. We also get to see Scott’s brother, Mike, and family. And then we have church family and Natalie’s family here as well. 

On our first day here we were glad to be able to greet our granddaughter, hug on Stephan and Natalie and just get some rest. Scott jumped online to lead the Bible study in Maastricht. There is a 6 hour time difference from Indiana, so it was morning for Scott while it was evening for the rest. But it was good to see and speak (in Dutch) to everyone. 

The next evening we drove out to the family we stayed with when we came for our granddaughter’s first birthday (back in 2024). They are members of the church in Noblesville, a congregation that has won our hearts on each of our visits. The Mahan’s were very welcoming back in 2024 and it was good to see them again and spend the evening together. This time we got to meet Doyle, who had been away farming when we came in 2024. 

At the weekend we headed out with Stephan, Natalie and granddaughter to Fair Oaks Farms about 2 hours north of us. This is a sort of farm outing for families. It was exciting to see all sorts of families enjoying their time together. There was a hotel with a pool, tours to the cows and to the pigs and all sorts of delicious food. We were joined by new friends of Stephan and Natalie (they had met at a playground nearby and their kids hit it off) who also came with their parents. So the grandparents also bonded I the short day we were together, watching cows being born, checking out piglets and enjoying grandkids. 

Sunday was a refreshing time with church family in Noblesville (about 10 minutes away). This church family has always been very welcoming and loving - to everyone who comes. It reminds us of our family in Maastricht. In the evening we headed over to Natalie’s parent’s house where the rest of Natalie’s family was present to celebrate her mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day for all the women present. The little cousins had a rambunctious time together and it was good to finally make it back home and get to bed. It had been an encouraging but long day. 

Monday brings another day to celebrate mother’s, since the previous day wasn’t really possible. We will go out to eat lunch with Stephan, Natalie and granddaughter before driving down to see Mike and Amy, Scott’s youngest brother. Being able to see family is always good. Some families see each other all the time. We tend to see each other every 3-10 years, picking up wherever we are at the time. 

The last day will be a day to help family as Natalie’s sister's family are moving house and can use some extra hands. It has always been good to help out where we could. In the past we have helped with building a deck, but we have also enjoyed seeing the new steps in each young family. 

Indiana has come to be a place of family and we have enjoyed looking around. It has been good to spend time with our granddaughter, getting to know her better and seeing her grow up (we will just miss her birthday, but will be able to congratulate her). It is exciting to see her growing, talking, becoming her own person. To see Stephan and Natalie as parents and husband and wife as well as being our children. We have been very thankful for the family time here. 

We will fly out on Wednesday to our next stop in California where we are mostly with church family. We will also meet some newly discovered family, but that is for next time. 

You can see some of the pictures from Indiana here.

Whodunit Wednesday: Herman Snellen

How well do you see? Anyone who has ever been to an eye doctor recognizes a certain chart on the wall. The large “E” is at the top of the chart. If that is all you can read, then you have a problem. All of us may be able to say how good our sight is. If it is 20/20, the we see well. Anything lower (20/70??) means that you have a problem with your sight and need eyeglasses of some sort. 

The chart you are familiar with is from Dutchman Herman Snellen. He lived and worked in Utrecht around the end of the 19th century. He published the Snellen Chart which measures visual acuity and was designed and presented in 1862. It is the same chart that you recognize when you go to the eye doctor today. 

Truth doesn’t change. Wisdom doesn’t change. We are looking through the wisdom of Proverbs with the congregation in Maastricht. We will even be doing this on the Wednesdays that we are not traveling while on assignment in the US (which includes today). Proverbs makes it clear to us that we can check our wisdom by seeing if we are following God and His desires. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Tuning your ears and eyes and actions to God will always be a good thing. 

Both Shirley and I wear glasses. I have worn mine since I was 9 years old. Our granddaughter is only turning 3 and already wears glasses. But it is a good thing to be able to correct our vision and see clearly. We pray that we all will continue to correct our hearts and minds to see clearly in a world that is troubled. We will not need a Snellen Chart, but the words of God.  

Fish, Fellowship and Family

As we round up our stay in Texas we look back on a wonderful time of church family and fellowship. We drove out to the Bundy Ranch out in the middle of nowhere near Throckmorton, Texas to spend an evening with the Bundy family. Bill and DeeDee Bundy have been a part of our family for quite some time. They were in Antwerp, we saw them in Bern, Switzerland and Sean lived with them when they were in Brussels. 

This evening was an interesting mix of family feelings and reminiscing. Bill is a member of a family of 12 kids (he is the youngest) and most of them were present for this fish-fry. The brothers all did the fish-frying while some of the ladies had brought the "fixings". Good food and meeting new people is always exciting. And afterwards, before we drove back to Abilene, we spent some good time catching up with Bill and DeeDee. 

We were well cared for at E.B. and Jean’s house the whole tie we were in Abilene (see photo). They have been our best friends from Abilene since the beginning of our life together. We still love watching old movies together and sharing the beauties of God’s love and grace as we see it in so many lives. At their house, we also enjoyed the parakeets (I am probably mentioning the wrong type of bird). Max is Jean’s and Fiki (for Rafiki) is E.B.’s. 

On Sunday we spent almost the whole day with the Oldham Lane congregation who picked us up as supporters in 2023. This is a congregation of 600 people that feels very homey. We enjoyed Bible class and worship in the morning. After services people stood around talking, introducing themselves to us. A girl whose family is from Belgium, a woman who lived in the rue de Trone in Brussels and some South Africans who speak Afrikaans. 

Later in the day we met with the missions committee to talk about how God is working in Belgium and the Netherlands. After evening services there was a “small” group fellowship at one of the members house. I say “small” because this was a group of about 40 people. Good food, amazing conversations and once again connections all over. The pulpit preacher went to Bear Valley. His wife grew up in Colorado Springs and we once again were able to speak some Dutch with the people from South Africa (who speak Afrikaans). 

We ended up our Texas leg with the McNeill’s in Haslet (just outside DFW airport). This house with the yellow door is our home away from home whenever we travel. Tim and Debbie and Nathan simply open the door and make us at home in every way. We know where things are and are welcome to grab whatever we need. It is so good to feel at home in a place away from home. They lived for a while in Belgium and know our quirks. 

Tomorrow we drive out at about 5 am to catch a flight around 9:30 am which will take us over Atlanta to Indianapolis. We are looking forward to the next stage of this trip since we get to spend it with Stephan, Natalie and Sophia as well as see Mike and Amy (Scott’s brother). Texas has been a wonderful start to this trip. More to come. 

You can find pictures of this stage here. 

He's got the whole world in His hands

We are running around our house at the moment trying to get everything cleaned and ready to be left alone for two months. We want to be able to come home to a clean house. We are also making sure that we have all the “things” that we need. These days there are many more electronic things. But mostly we don’t want to forget anything that is necessary. 

We are traveling with only carry-on, so having already made the decisions about clothes, we are settling our minds about those choices. Once we get in the air, it will be easier. Then there is truly no going back. And since we are moving forward, we also want to make sure that we have all the contact information we need for each stop along the way. We have it digital, but it is also always good to have a printed copy handy. 

And while this is happening, we are rejoicing with the good news we received and saw yesterday afternoon. We gained a new brother in the Lord as Daniel gave his life to Christ I baptism and rose to new life in the strength of his Lord. Daniel has been thinking of this for some time and decided he wasn’t going to sit any longer. We were blessed to be invited to come to his family’s house to see him die and be born again. 

Seeing new life takes away any concerns there might be for anything. God is wonderfully mighty and caring and has our loves in His caring hands. We look forward to each new day as we get to walk with Him. 

Keep an eye on this space, although we may not be posting at our usual times. We will try to keep you up to date on our travels as we go. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. 

Singing, fellowship and flowers

This has been a week and a half of singing and fellowship. On April 10 we held our first Friday singing - on the 2nd Friday. This was because the first Friday was Easter weekend and most people could not be there. This made it possible for more people to come. And we were especially thankful that we finally saw our brothers and sisters from Liege again. It has been maybe 2 or 3 years since they have been able to attend this, although we saw them last year at camp for a day. 

The Wednesday after we were in Eindhoven for the 3rd Wednesday of the month and our singing with the church in Eindhoven. We had quite a group their meeting as well. It is always so encouraging to be able to share time singing together of God’s love and faithfulness. Our singings are always a balance of learning new things and singing songs to encourage one another. This time we even were able to find helpers for the camp we will be leading in the summer. 

On the Saturday (just past) we headed to Haarlem in the north to help them with their singing. We haven’t been able to be with them since February. This time we took the train up, which was restful. We ended up with a group of about 16 from all around the area. We were especially thankful that we were able to see a young man and his family that we grew up with and had not seen in perhaps 15 years. He now has three kids. We also saw a couple we love from the Den Haag area. 

Following the singing we spent some time with our Russian brother and sister and his visiting mother and went to look at flowers in the area. This is the tie of Keukenhof and the tulips and the flowers were amazing. It is beauty like this that makes you sing of the wondrous love of Jesus. But it is also the beauty that we see in our brothers and sisters at such times. We are so thankful that God gives us the opportunity to meet with so many congregations from around Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Soon we will be leaving for our Home Assignment (April 28) and we are looking forward to all the singing and visiting we will be able to do with brothers and sisters from around the US. We hope to see some of you soon and join in singing the grace of God together. 

Training

One of the joys and challenges of our work in Belgium and the Netherlands is working with young people and those wanting to learn more. The body of Christ is just that - a body. The church is made up of all sorts of people and God can use us all in many ways. Buut we learn from each other how we can be used to help others. That is part of what we are doing, helping to train and mentor others to become leaders and helpers. 

This past weekend we offered a day of training for those wanting to work with the Bible camp. It was Inspiration for Aspiring leaders, so we called it “Breathe”, knowing that it is the Holy Spirit who prepares us and forms us in our tasks. Last year we held this day at the church building in Antwerpen because that was more central, easier for people to reach. But we have wanted to hold it at camp itself so that the prospective leaders can see in person what they are working with. So this year we met down at camp. We are thankful to be able to do this with good colleagues (Luk Brazle). 

It was great to see the willingness of these few young people to learn and be aware of the responsibility of leading a team for a week of Bible camp. This is a time of reaching young hearts with the truths from God’s word and putting those into practice every day for a week before they return home. It is a time when many young people from the churches in Belgium and the Netherlands see friends from around the country or make new friends. This is all facilitated by good camp leaders. 

We are also helping to mentor some of our couples and singles in Maastricht. We meet on Mondays to study and talk about situations in leadership. On Wednesday afternoons we have a Bible study in English for some of our young people where they can ask questions and get honest answers. It is exciting to see how the members of the congregation are maturing in Christ and stepping up to new challenges in their daily Christian life. 

In April we will also be taking part in a First Aid course for those who work down at the Bible Camp. This is another aspect of learning and teaching. The Red Cross will offer the course and we are thankful for the various people who will attend, including several from the church in Maastricht. We are learning how to use the spiritual muscles God has given us and feeling the challenge of using those abilities and trusting in God’s strength and leading. 

(Here are some more pictures of the training day at camp.)